Here’s the thing, Apple entered into an exclusive deal with Nintendo to release Super Mario Run first and exclusively on iOS devices. Something that left Android users feeling left out while Apple fans were having fun saving princesses from monsters, and all the nostalgic things they can do on their Mario game on iOS devices.
Hints that the game could be coming soon on Android surfaced last Thursday with a link to Google Play Store. The Super Mario Run availability on Play Store notification came in the same way; iOS users got the notification last September when it was first available on iTunes store. The reason for the notification is to let you know when the game is available for download from the app store.
Nintendo announced the mobile version of the classical Super Mario availability on a smartphone during the Apple Event back in September when the Cappuccino company also debut their latest flagship phone, the iPhone 7.
At that time, Nintendo alluded to an Android version to follow, but since it was an Apple event, not much details on when exactly were diverged. Now, it appears the Apple exclusivity deal is coming to an end, and Android users too can now relive some of their childhood experiences by playing the game.
Then again, it might be important to remember than iOS users had to wait for three months between when Nintendo said the game would be available on App Store, and the time it was actually released. Now that Android users have gotten the information that Nintendo intends to release the game on Play Store, it might be a while before you can actually install the game.
Super Mario Run has had a good run so far with over 40 million downloads recorded within its first four days of availability on the iOS App Store. It remains to be seen if the Android version of the game will be similar to that on iOS devices, but the description of the game on the Play Store is identical to that on App Store.
About Nintendo Business Model
Nintendo commercialization of the game work by them availing the first few levels of the game for free and then charging a one-time $10 fee to unlock all the games levels. This business model seems to rub users in the wrong way, and that has led to poor ratings and reviews of the app on the App Store. The rating now stands at 2.5 stars out of the possible 5. To top that up, the company’s share prices has also taken a nose-dive.
Based on that, it would not be too far off, to speculate that Nintendo is probably not going to make money off the Super Mario Run as they do on Pokémon Go. Another Nintendo’s app that became an overnight blockbuster app.